Biography Help
Not all of the following information needs to be filled out this chart is just to help you find information to write for each category. BE CREATIVE. '' '''BASICS Name: Meaning of Name: Origin of Name: Titles: Nicknames: Age: Race: Gender: Height: Weight: Eye Color: Hair: Alignment: Class: Profession(s)/Job: Wealth Status: Dwelling Place/Current Home: Birthplace: Sexual Orientation: Current Status (Marital/Dating): Trinkets/Favored Items: APPEARANCE EXTENDED: General Appearance: Facial appearance(Includes hair): Skin color and appearance: General body build/type/figure: Posture: Distinguishing Features (Tattoos/Scars): Glasses/Contacts? Left/Right handed? Characteristic Gestures: Physical Condition: Typical expressions: Describe his/her smile (a smile tells alot about a person. Wide grin vs tiny smirk): Hands: Who does s/he take after; mother or father? Style (Elegant, shabby, etc): How does s/he dress or what do they typically wear? Other outfits one might find in their wardrobe: Hygiene: Physical Flaws: Physical Qualities: Other Characteristics Are they generally balanced or clumsy? Mannerisms/Poses/Movement: Describe their walk: Habits/OCDs/Obsessions: Speech Patterns: Unique phrases/words: Mental Disorders (if any): RELATIONS: General relationships, past or present: Involvement with any associations, guilds, or militias: Known family members, and their relation to the character: Extended family: Any important/infamous/famous ancestors, and if so, who? Describe their ancestral history, if anything of particular note: Birthparent(s): Are they still alive? Did they raise this character? If not, why not, and/or what happened? At what age was the character when this happened? What did they do for a living? Are they still together? If not, how, when and why did they separate? How did each parent treat the character, growing up? How does each parent treat the character now? What does each parent think of the character? What changes their opinion of the character, if at all, and how so? How did the character treat each of their parents growing up? How does the character treat each of their parents now? Caretaker(s) (if someone other than birthparents) What is their relationship to the character? Are they still alive? At what age did the caretakers begin to raise this character? Did they know the caretakers know the birth parents? Did the character know the birth parents? How did the father/caretaker1 treat the character? How did the mother/caretaker2 treat the character? How did the character treat their father/caretaker1? How did the character treat their mother/caretaker2? Siblings (if any): Are they still alive, if not who died and when? Describe how each one treats this character: Describe how this character treats each one of his siblings: Does this character still keep in contact with their siblings? How has this character's relationship changed with their siblings since childhood? How did s/he get along with the family as a whole? How did s/he get along with the siblings, if any? Describe their family life/dynamic, growing up: Describe their family life/dynamic now: Favorite parent: Why? Partner(s): Is this their first marriage/family? (if not, copy, paste, and answer these questions for the previous marriages/families too, and including the following 4 questions) How, why and when did they divorce/split? Was it mutual? If they had children, who kept them? If it was a death, what happened, and when? Did they get remarried, and if so to whom? How did the children, if any, respond to that? Are they legitimately married? If not, are the other characters aware of this? When did they get married? How did they meet? How did he propose, or how was she proposed to? Mistress(es)/Secret Lover(s)/ Lover(s) outside of marriage: Does the spouse/partner know? If so how and when did they find out? How did they react, and what was the end result? Any illegitimate children with them, and if so who? Does anyone know? If so, how and when did they find out? How did they react and what was the end result? Children and their ages: Who are each of their parents (ie: from which marriage, if any other)? Were any conceived/born out of wedlock, if so, which ones? How does (each) son/daughter treat of this character? How does this character treat (each) son/daughter? How does (each) son/daughter think of this character? How does this character think of (each) son/daughter? How does this character's relationship change with their child/children as they grew older? Non-family members of note(Includes pets): Any enemies, villains, or rivals, and how did this come to be: Friends & Companions: Type and Number of Close Friends: Best Friend: Confidant/Mentor: What kind of person would s/he consider to be the perfect partner? Is the character judgmental of others and how so? How is s/he perceived by... Strangers? Friends? Coworker/Colleague? Lovers? What happens to change this perception if at all? Describe their sense of trust: What type of individuals does s/he like or associate with? What type of individuals doesn't s/he like or associate with? How do they treat members of the opposite sex? How do they treat members of the same sex? What do family/friends like most about character? What do family/friends like least about character? Do they know anyone who's died, and if so who and how were they affected? PERSONALITY Intelligence Level: Known Languages: General happiness, 1-10: Social level 1-10: Reaction to certain races: Reaction to Neutral Groups: Any exceptions to these: Archetype: Distinctive personality traits: General reaction upon meeting a stranger of the same faction: Defining flaws/quirks: Likes: Dislikes: Greatest Enjoyments: 1 Optimist, 10 Pessimist, 1-10: General Personality Type: Introvert/Extrovert: Quirks / Eccentricities: Temperament: Method of Handling Anger or Rage (Repress, throw things, etc): Admirable Traits: Negative Traits: Bad Habits/Vices: Prejudices: Pet Peeves and Gripes: Ever Been Arrested?: Political or Social Issues Most Important To Character: Mental Disturbances: Hobbies: Interests: Drinks Alcohol?: Favorite Physical Attributes in Opposite Sex and Same Sex: Attributes About Character that Turn on Opposite Sex and Same Sex: Sexual Turn-Ons: Sexual Turn-Offs: Major Problems to Solve or Overcome: Solutions to Problems: Minor Problems to Solve or Overcome: Solutions to Problems: EMOTIONAL CHARACTERISTICS: Describe character's sense of morals: What do they consider taboo (something they personally would never do): Describe character's etiquette: Describe character's sense of self-control: Spontaneous or structured? Instinctual or logical? How does this character act in public? How does this character act in privacy? How does this character act around strangers vs. how they act around friends? How does this character act around family? How has this character most changed from youth? How have they remained the same? Has this character dealt with the loss of someone they knew? If so, who? How has it affected them? How does this character deal with or react to- Conflict/Danger: Rejection: Fear: Change: Loss: Sex/Flirting: Pain: Stress: Peer pressure: Guilt: Being wrong: Being criticized: Being insulted (superficially: name calling, etc): Offending others: Praise: Being loved: Being hated: Humiliation: How does this character express: Anger: Sadness: Fear: Happiness/Excitement: Love (Consider the "Five Languages of Love"): Lust: Stress/anxiety: Dislike (of a person, thing, or idea): Approval (of a person, thing, or idea): How does this character generally express themselves? What does this character think/feel about- Marriage: Children: Family/Family Values: Children/Youth: Old age: Sex: Love: Friendship/Other relationships: Money/Material things: Politics: Religion: Destiny/Duty: Magic/Myth: Racism/Races in general: Science/Technology: Nature/Animals: Modernity: Antiquity: Their past: Their future: Their role in society/job/etc: Drugs and alcohol: Killing/Murder: Education: The foreign/unknown: How does the character view life? How does the character view death? How does the character view society? How does the character imagine his/her own death? What does the character want out of life? What does this character consider "success" to be? What would the character like to change in his/her life? What motivates this character? Why? What discourages this character? Why? What makes this character happy? Why? What makes this character sad? Why? What makes this character angry? Why? What humiliates this character? What most describes this character's personality? Psychoanalysis (Describe why they act the way they do) Does it stem from childhood or an event, or chemical? HISTORY History Overview(Paragraph, chart, timeline, etc): Hometown: Birth Scenario: First Memory: Most important childhood event that still affects him/her: Why/How? Other memories/events that still affects him/her and why/how: Past failures s/he would be embarrassed to have people know about and why: Biggest role model: Why? Biggest disillusions from childhood: Most Painful Things in One's Life: Traumas/Psychological Scars from the Past: M ost Crucial (read:lifechanging) Experience: Notable Traditions: SKILLS/ABILITIES Special Occupational Training: Skills, Abilities, and Talents: Areas of Expertise: Military Experience: The specialization of their class (Beastmaster Hunter, Frost Mage, etc.): Combat style: Mastery of their class (novice/master/etc): Pre-prime, in their prime, or post-prime: Prefered weapon: Special abilities or unusual skills: Talents: GENERAL/OTHER: Religion: Does the character believe in a god or goddess? What are the character's spiritual beliefs? Is religion or spirituality an important part of this character's life? If so, what role does it play? Superstitions: Element: Short-Term Goals: Long-Term Goals: Short-Term Needs: Long-Term Needs: What is appealing about them to others?: What is unappealing about them to others?: Dreams/Aspirations?: Secret desires: How self-confident is the character? How do they see him/herself? How do they believe s/he is perceived by others? What is the character most proud of? What does the character like least about themselves? How do they express themselves? Is this character generally dominant or submissive? Patience level: Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Most at ease when: Ill at ease when: Describe their sense of humor: If granted one wish, what would it be? Why? Character/Personality/Mental/Social Strengths: Character/Personality/Mental/Social Flaws: If they could be described with one of the seven virtues, which would it be? If they could be described with one of the seven sins, which would it be? Biggest Vulnerability (non physical): Greatest Fear: Other Fears/Insecurities/Phobias: Emotional/psychological/social peculiarities: Biggest regret: Other regrets: Biggest accomplishment: Minor accomplishments: Musical talents/instruments: Character's darkest/deepest secret: Minor Secrets: Future: Personal Quote/Motto: (from Character): Themed Quote (Quote that fits): Theme Song (Hey, some people do that): INVOLVED IN A STORY: Character's role in the story (main character? hero? Villain? etc): Scene/Point where character first appears/becomes involved: Relationships with other characters in this particular arch: Where, how and when did s/he first interact with other characters: What was this character's life like before something, if anything, happened to change it all: How Character is different at the end of the novel/storyline from when the novel/storyline began: Background Story: Additional Notes on This Character: '''''NOTES ON CREATING EFFECTIVE CHARACTERS: MOTIVATION: When considering a character, always ask yourself 'why'? Question your character's motive for everything they do, think, or say. Delve into the psychology of your character. Don't just make them 'insane' for no reason, or 'just always happy,' or anything that can't have backup. Every thing has a reason, and this should be relatively obvious to your readers, unless you mean to keep it a secret; but a good, solid character has depth. One creates depth through a deep understanding of their character's past, psychology, and motives. For instance, it doesn't make sense for a female character in a sexist society, to "just suddenly have the will to rebel." No, rebellion comes from a catalyst, an instigator, something has to happen for this character to want to rebel; afterall, if you've built that society to generally accept sexist ideals, what would make this female character different from the others? What happened in her childhood to make her think otherwise? How did her father treat her that may have inspired this desire to break the norm? How about her mother? Was there a role model, tv show, event, etc, that inspired this character to break the mold? People never do anything without reason, be it conscious or subconscious, and as a writer, it is your job to write their history and motivations. STICK TO WHAT YOU KNOW: It's hard to have a deep understanding for your character, if they have no basis in reality. It doesn't mean you can't have superheroes or fantasy elements, but their traits and personality must still realistic and believable within that realm of reality. Even in an alternate universe, there is a state of consistency. Lack of consistency creates an unbalance and a poor foundation for your character, and they will be loose and shallow to the reader. A reader connects with a character when they can sympathize, or feel an emotion from them. Keep at least that much realistic in anything you do. In order to understand your character, you have to understand, or research them. Do you know enough about the period in which they were born, or their habitat? Do you know anything about their demographic, their race, their age? All of these things you must familiarize yourself with in reality before you attempt to recreate it in your story. It is the same with an artist; an artist can not learn to exaggerate reality before they learn to replicate it, at least to some extent. Therefore, you must truly know your characters inside and out, and practically live them. These above mentioned traits only come from putting yourself in your character's shoes. "If I were him/her, how WOULD I wake up in the morning? What would be my daily rituals? What would I order if I were them, at a restaurant?" Think about your characters all the time, even when you're waiting on a bus, or standing in line, constantly ask yourself "what would my character do in this situation?" This is how you can come up with truly unique character traits, that are both believable AND relatable. Draw from people you know, situations you've been in, or even yourself (but don't be one of those writers who just writes their fantasy self into everything they do). CLICHES, STEREOTYPES, ARCHETYPES: Clichés are not the same as archetypes or stereotypes, mind you, and to some extent these things are necessary for a story, however a cliché should never be used as an important story element. That being said, this does not mean that all clichés are bad. You can have a cliché storyline, but a diverse range of characters with depth and personality interesting enough to keep your reader into what you're writing. Cliché characters may run the risk of becoming flat and undeveloped if they are not subject to change. If you do not move beyond it, they will remain stagnant, and thus hinder the potential of your story. Avoid them when you can, and work around them when you have them. What is the difference, you ask? In my personal opinion, archetypes are 'genres' of stories or characters, a very basic and general 'theme.' These are hard to avoid. Archetypes of stories could include: love triangles, the classic Romeo and Juliet fate, jealousy, etc. Archetypes of character may include: the stubborn king, the blinded-by-love youth, the whore or even beast/monster with a heart of gold, the corrupt official, etc. These are things in which you base your story on, but build off of. Stereotypes are only acceptable in moderation. You have to make a character believable. Certain fashions, dialects, and generally accepted truths about a stereotyped character might be necessary to get your point across. This is especially helpful for minor characters. Let's say you have a bartender, who is in only one or two scenes. He needs no real development, as he only acts as a prop for your main characters to interact with. It's okay to go with a stereotype or cliché. If you start going to the extreme opposite, and try to create the 'super unique, most original awesome character ever,' or as I like to call it, the 'anti-stereotype,' you run the risk of 'obviously trying too hard,' which will come off to your reader as amateur. If he's only a minor character, or someone in passing, don't make the bartender "a midget, old woman with a beard, who's lesbian for no reason, has wings, and speaks backwards in French." It doesn't make sense, and is completely unnecessary for a minor character. It is, therefore, unbelievable and leaves the reader questioning "why did they even bother?" Don't try too hard to create something no one has ever seen, because you'll inevitably fail. It doesn't mean that you can't create something original. Originality comes from making the particular character just unique enough from the others to stand out, however many aspects of this character probably have their inspirations from other sources. Don't be afraid of that, but at the same time, don't let your inspirations be all you draw from. CONCLUSION: Most of all, keep practicing. Writing is like an art, no one is perfect the first time they start. No one creates masterpieces with their first works. Don't bank all your money on one story, or one character. Continue to create, because you never know which one might be the big hit. Even when you have created something people like, don't stop there. A true artist or writer is never pleased with their work. Continue to aspire to create more, create something new, and most of all, let your love of the hobby inspire you to never stop.